Up close to the natural world

■ National Sealife Centre, Birmingham

See a wealth of marine life up close in a range of spectacular displays, from touch pools to walkthrough underwater tunnels providing close encounters with everything from humble shrimps and starfish to seahorses, sharks and rays.

INFO: sealifeeurope.com.

FROM Hereford: 56 miles, 1hr.

15min. PRICE: Adult £14.50, child £11 (online booking.

■ Walking and picnicking in the local countryside Pack a picnic and put your best foot forward for a day that costs almost nothing, but offers a unique way to experience the beautiful Herefordshire landscape. Reluctant walkers will be magically transformed into enthusiastic ramblers with the addition of a friend or two. In Herefordshire alone, there are 15 way-marked circular walks with free leaflets available from Tourist Information Centres and other local outlets, or you can visit the website at herefordshire.gov.uk and follow the links to download details of your chosen walk. To discover one of the country’s most famous National Trails, visit the Offa’s Dyke Centre in Knighton, half-way along the trail, where you can enjoy an interactive information exhibition before exploring a stretch of the famous Offa’s Dyke for yourself.

■ International Centre for Birds of Prey, Newent

An opportunity to see and learn about birds you’d never normally see and watch them in flight in one of the regular flying sessions run by the centre. International Centre for Birds of Prey: 01531 820286/821581 or icbp.org, £9.50/£6, family (2+2) £28.

■ The Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre, Kington

All the British owls can be seen at this unique farm park, as well as a wide selection of other animals. Details: 01544 231109 or visit owlcentre.com

■ aMazing Hedge Puzzle/Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo/Wye Valley Miniature Golf

With three great attractions in one place, you’ll find plenty to fill your day at Symonds Yat, with the aMazing Hedge Puzzle and Maze Museum offering fun and excitement, the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo providing an opportunity to walk among the butterflies and finish off with a round of 12 holes of mini golf. From £3.75/£2.50 to £7/£4.50 (combined ticket). For details, call 01600 890360 or visit mazes.co.uk

■ Dick Whittington Family Leisure Park

A GREAT all-weather destination for a family day out, with plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for the children, including 8,000 sq ft of trampolines, slides and ball pools inside and the Rickety Bridge Adventure play area, tractor rides, pets’ corner and a giant sand pit.

INFO: dickwhittington.org.

FROM HEREFORD: 25 miles, 45 min.

PRICE: 3-103-years-old £6, family £20

■ School’s out for Summer in Weobley A wide range of (mostly) free activities offered throughout the holidays by the Weobley Extended Schools Cluster. The line-up includes a Sport Experience week, free family cooking sessions, African Drumming Workshops, a day of canoeing/kayaking on Bodenham Lake abd a multi-activity day at Taste for Adventure in Credenhill. For dates and prices and a booking form, call Jane Denny on 07814 576386.

■ Follow a Treasure Trail Pick up your trail booklet at your local Tourist Information Centre and discover a fun, healthy and (even in the holidays) education way to get out and about. Choose from a murder mystery trail in Hay, Hereford, Ledbury, Leominster or Ross, or look for lost treasure in Weobley, with plenty of others close at home and further afield to choose from. Take the whole family for a great day out. At just £5 per trail, you’ll enjoy a real value-for-money day out with cash to spare for ice-creams.

Details: treasuretrails.co.uk, local Tourist Information Centres, and selected retail outlets, youth hostels and B&Bs.

■ Nature Trails

The summer will see a wide range of Wildplay events organised by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, with minibeast madness and river-dipping as well as the chance to make your own paint. There’ll be events in Leominster, Ross, Peterchurch, Ewyas Harold and Ledbury.

Details: 01432 356872 or visit herefordshirewt.org

■ Shortwood Family Farm near Bromyard

Take a two-hour animal feeding tour, see the old-fashioned farmyard and even milk a cow at this working organic dairy farm. £7/£5. Details: 01885 400205 or visit shortwoodfarm.co.uk

■ Puzzlewood

A unique attraction, where visitors can explore meandering pathways through beautiful ancient woodland. The mile of paths wind through gulleys and moss covered rocks, over bridges and through fantastic tree and rock formations.

Puzzlewood has recently been used as a film location for both Merlin and Doctor Who. Combine your visit with a trip to Clearwell Caves or Perrygrove Railway.

Details: 01594 833187 or visit puzzlewood.net. £5, £3.50, £16.

■ The Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre, Kington

All the British owls can be seen at this unique farm park, as well as a wide selection of other animals.

Details: 01544 231109 or visit owlcentre.com

■ Weston’s Cider Visitor Centre and Rare Breeds Farm Park

Take a guided tour and then visit the farm park, which also has a tractor pad with children’s John Deere pedal tractors and a children’s play farm house.

Details: 01531 660223 or visit westons-cider.co.uk

■ South Wales Shire Horse Show

The biggest and best Shire horse experience in Wales, with fairground, bouncy castle and crafts.

Saturday, July 24 Bailey Park, Abergavennny, 10am to 5pm.

■ Hampton Court

Beautifully restored gardens, a maze and waterfall and plenty of space to run about in, Hampton Court has something for adults and children alike every day.

Through the summer, you’ll also find a selection of events, including open-air theatre from Chapterhouse Theatre Company.

Beauty and The Beast on Thursday, July 29, an interpretation of a classic that’s sure to delight. Come along to watch this heart-warming story of fun and friendship in fancy dress and join Louisa and her friends in a fairytale parade during the interval – a true Chapterhouse tradition.

Pride and Prejudice on Thursday, August 19, in which sisters Jane and Elizabeth Bennet pursue their own quest for true love.

Tickets available from the Hampton Court ticket office, or online at Seetickets.com.

August 1, from 9am. The Herefordshire Country Fair - the premier one-day show in the Marches, showcasing conservation, outdoor pursuits and field sports, alongside great shopping and have-a-go activities for the whole family.

Fair profits are donated to charities operating in the county.

August 29 and 30 - Medieval fun at Hampton Court Hampton Court re-visits its mediaeval roots. Knights jousting, hawking and falconry, the Hampton Court Company of Archers spread over two exciting days of fun. 11am to 5pm.

Details: 01568 797777 or hamptoncourt.org.uk

■ Horse-riding

Get in the saddle and see the world from a different perspective. Bryngwyn Riding Centre: Old Rectory, Bryngwyn, Kington.

Details: 01497 851669 Sue Adams Riding School, Hamnish, Leominster, Details: 01568 760267.

■ West Midland Safari Park

ALWAYS a favourite with its great mix of safari and exciting rides, this summer WMSP offers young wildlife enthusiasts the chance to be Junior Safari Rangers on Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18. Join in some hands-on fun with workshops running throughout the day giving the chance for young ‘wannabee’ keepers to help look after a range of the small encounter animals, including feed preparation, responsibilities in exotic pet care and some animal handling.

West Midland Safari Park will also be open late every evening throughout August for their Summer Nights event, offering a marvellous opportunity to go on an amazing four mile evening safari.

Details: wmsp.co.uk. Price: adult, £12.95, child £11.50, family (2+2) £44.

■ Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park

A MIX of adventure fun and animal interaction in a glorious riverside setting. Climb on board the Strawberry Line – the longest fiveinch miniature gauge railway in the West Country, take a stroll around the winding river (with challenging obstacles for the children). Details: Avonvalleycountrypark.com. Price: adult £7.50, child £7, family (2+3) £42.

■ Slimbridge Wetland Centre

SEE the largest collection of swans, ducks, flamingos and geese anywhere in the world, many of them rare or endangered species.

Slimbridge has a year-round programme of events, workshops and talks, with Land Rover safaris every day during the school holidays. There are also opportunities for batwatching, reptile watching and mothing by moonlight - see the website for a full programme of events.

Details: wwt.org.uk. Price: adult £9.75, child £5.30, family (2+2) £27.30. Landrover safaris and Birdwatch mornings extra.

■ Cotswold Farm Park

Rare breed conservation centre with a comprehensive collection of more than 50 breeding flocks and herds of British rare breed farm animals.

The daily schedule includes bottle feeding, milking and sheep-shearing demonstrations and tractor school.

Details: cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk. Price: adult £6.75, child £5.50, family (2+2) £45.

■ Twycross Zoo

Twycross, near Tamworth, is one of the major British zoos, particularly renowned for its collection of primates, the most comprehensive in the western world.

Details: twycrosszoo.org. Price: Adult £11, child £7, family (2+2) £33, family (2+3) £39.

■ Bristol Zoo

Experience life among the tree tops at Bristol Zoo where Europe’s first aerial ropes course set in a zoo will take you round 17 sections of the zoo using a net ramp, a plank bridge, hanging tyres, looped vines, hanging logs and a balance beam, finishing with a zipwire onto the zoo’s main lawn. ZooRopia is subject to availability on a first come, first served basis and there is an additional charge. More than 450 species can be discovered at Bristol Zoo – make sure you see Seal and Penguin Coasts, Gorilla Island and Zona while you’re there.

Details: bristolzoo.org.uk. Price: Adult, £13 child £8, family (2+2) £38.